LOUISVILLE, Ky.—A Kentucky Powerball winner was arrested and charged with kicking a police officer in Florida days after he won a $167 million jackpot.
James S. Farthing, who goes by Shannon, found out on Sunday, April 27, that he won the state’s biggest ever jackpot after his mother called him, according to a media release from the Kentucky Lottery. The lottery said Farthing and his mother were splitting the winnings.
But Farthing, 50, was in a Florida jail by midweek, according to media reports. He has been charged with battery of a police officer and resisting arrest after a Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy was attempting to break up a fight between Farthing and another person in a hotel when Farthing kicked the officer in the face, according to a police report written on April 29. The officer told Farthing to turn around put his hands behind his back, but Farthing attempted to flee, the police report said.
Farthing was booked into jail early morning of April 30 and remained in custody on May 5, according to the county’s online jail records.
Farthing went to lottery headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 28 with his mother, Linda Grizzle, to claim their winnings.
“It’s going to be a good Mother’s Day,” Grizzle told lottery officials. “This is going to pay off my debt.” Grizzle said she called her son on April 27 saying she thought they had the winning ticket. They rushed to the gas station where he bought the ticket to confirm it, the lottery said.
“I would have never dreamed it. It hasn’t sunken in yet,” she said.
In an interview with WKYT-TV that day, Farthing said the winnings would help his mother.
“I’ve caused a lot of stress on her, you know, I’ve made some bad decisions in life and, you know, God’s been good because I’ve kept my faith and done right,” he told the news station.
The winning numbers were 1-12-14-18-69 and the Powerball was 2. The family was told they could take a cash option of $77.3 million or receive 30 graduated annual payments for the winnings. Lottery officials said the total was the largest Powerball jackpot ever won in Kentucky, topping a $128 million jackpot in 2009.
Online court records in Kentucky show Farthing has been arrested several times in recent years on various charges, including assault and domestic violence.
An attorney for Farthing listed in court records did not immediately respond to an email message on May 2.
